Ship



Sept.. 16 .1924..v

f sj N. Poms SHIP 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 16 1924. 1,508,473

S. N. POI-'IS sued sept. 17 {191'7 z shuts-sheep a Patented sept. 1e, 1924.

SAMEL mroms, or NEW Yonx, N.- Y. r

A SHIP.

Application led September 17, 1917. Serial No. 191,875. l

To zZZ 'wlw/nz it may concern:

,Be it known that I, SAMUEL N. Poms, citie zen' of the United States, and resident of New York city, in the State of New York,

5 have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ships, of which the following is -a specitication. f,

My invention relates to ships and articularly to ships havin a special gir er construction for strengt and adapted to sail upon the ocean, or canals, lakes and rivers.

. My ship is preferably constructed with trusses or -grders located within the hull and adapted to carry practically all the l5 bending and shearing stresses to which the hull is subjected. These trusses or girders are surrounded by or have attached to them, plates for the purpose of forming the skin or plating of the ship.

My truss construction is adapted to be made of Wood, reinforced concrete or other suitable structural material, or steel in the form of cast steel, or rolled and riveted steel.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a ships hull, the Aframework or skeleton of whichis'made up of a plurality of longitudinal girders combined with a suitable number of transverse girders; all

in rigid relation with one 'another and a hullso designed, all of the stresses to 4 which the ship is subjected can be borne by -the girders; and principally by the longitudinal girders, with the result that I canobtain a ships hull of superior strength and yet constituted of a smaller quantity of steel than would ordinarily be required in a ship of the same size and carrying capacity.

Preferably I employ two longitudinal girders, located above the bottom of the vessel, and extending' from bow portion to stern portion. The transverse girders extend between and connect the longitudinal girders besides running out to the Asides of the ship. In .any case, the transverse girders from their points of connection with the longitudinal girders to the sides of the ship con- 59 stitute means-for transmitting to the longi:

. referred Thesesections or plates mentioned will be secured to the framework, so as to cover it entirely and will be held rigidly in place, especially as regards the transverse girders These plates may be of cast or rolled steel, or of wood or concrete, and so may the girders or trusses; and the sections of the `skin of the ship may be so shaped as to incorporate parts of the trusses or girders, such as the chord members, if desired.

The different parts of the ship Where formed of cast or rolled steel may be bolted, riveted, pinned or welded together. The joints maybe rendered water tight by usual caulking methods or by welding or by any other suitable method. y

.In the drawingsv j Fig. 1, shows a plan view of a hull embodying some features of my invention.

Fig. 2, is a side view thereof showing a possiblel water line.

F ig. 3, shows a longitudinal section thereof.

Fig'. 4, shows a transverse section of a ship embodying one form of the invention.

Fig. 5, is al sectional view of a ship section showing the attachment of U-channel ribs or framesv to the skin plating.

Fig. 6, shows a modification thereof for purposes of casting.

Fig. 7, shows another modification capable of being cast or rolled.

Fig. 8, shows a' transverse section of a modication of my ship.

Figs. 9, 10 and 11, show other modifications thereof.

Fig, 12, shows a bolted and welded joint between sections such as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

F ig. 13, shows a riveted and welded joint between sections such as those shown in Fig. 5.

rThe same numerals of reference identify the same parts throughout.

Referring first to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, ll show a ships hull 15 having deckhouses 16; and the skeleton or framework of this hull is indicated as being made up of a plurality of longitudinal trusses or girders 17, and transverse girders or trusses 18. The longitudinal girders 17 are shown as extending between bottom and upper deck from the bow portion to the stern portion of the ship; and the transverse girders 18 are rigid with the longitudinal girders and extend not only between the latter, but out to the sides of the ship. rlfhe deck plates of the hull are indicated at 25, and the side and bottom plates at 27.

As illustrated on these first four figures, the longitudinal girders are girders of the truss type, and comprise top chord members 2O and bottom chord members 21; which ext-end lengthwise of the hull and are connected by vertical web members 22 and diagonal web members 23. See particularly Figure 3. 0f course, instead of a truss girder, l may under some conditions use a plate girder with chord members at the top and bottom, as l have in fact indicated in Figure 11. Between the longitudinal girders are diagonal web members 24 and similar web members 24 extend from these longitudinal girders diagonally outward towards the sides and bottom of the hull. See Figure 4.

|iihe deck plates 25, and side and bottom plates 27 are similar in construction, and as an example, ll show side and bottom plates in cross section in Figures 5, 6 and 7. These plates are provided with re-inforcing ribs or members 26, which may have different cross sectional shapes as these three views illustrate. r1`he deck plates 25 bridge the tops of the girders 17 and extend outward towards the sides of the ship with the ribs 26 in transverse position. At the sides of the ship the deck plates are joined to the side plates, which extend downward and are united with bottom plates at the points 29, other bottom plates 27 beginning at the points 30. The ribs 26 of the side and bottom plates or sections likewise extend trans versely of the hull and the girders 17. rll`hat is to say, the ribs of the deck plates and the side and bottom plates are arranged end to end and extend continuously around the rameworkvof the hull; the ribs of one plate being rigidly connected with the ribs of an adjoining plate by riveting, weldingor any other suitable way, and where they cross the girders 17, these ribs are also made rigid with the top and bottom chord members 20 and 21. See Figure 3. 'llhe ends of the diagonal chord members 24, which are shown in Figure 4, as extending downward from the top chord members 20 of cach girder, are likewise made rigid. above with the chord members 20 and the ribs 26 of the deck plates; and at their lower ends, with the ribs 26 of the side and bottom plates; and the entire skeleton and skin are thus made rigid throughout.

The deck plates are joined to one another by means of theribs 26 along the'edges of these plates; and so are the side and bottom plates. Each rib of any one plate will form with the correspondingly located ribs of the other plates in the same transverse section of the hull a continuous rib extending entirely aroundvthe framework of the ship; and the web members 24 maybe spaced apart in the direction of the length of the ship in any required manner. For example the web members 24 secured to the girders or trusses 17 at any transverse section of the hull may be located as far from the next set of web members 24 disposed transversely of the hull as the width of one of the side or deck plates measured lengthwise of the hull,`r or across the ribs 26. When so spaced the members 24 of each set should preferably be in the same transverse plane as the joints between the successive side plates,\for instance; and the ends of each or' these members 24 will then be fixed to a rib of double size and strength along the side, bottom and deck plates, because two such ribs 26 will there be fastened together. lf ,desired :corner plates may be used at the ends of. the members 22 and 23; also between the ends of the members 24 and the ribs of the side, deck and bottom plates to make the hull still stronger.

. The web members 22 should, of course, be in the same transverse planes as the members 24.

1t will be seen that the web members 24, which extend downward and towards the sides and bottom of the ship from 'the girders 17, along with the ribs 26 oit the deck, bottom and side plates to which the members 24 are attached, in edect constitute cantilevers. ln other words, the members 24 co-operate with these ribs 26 of the deck, bottom and side plates, which ribs also serve as chord members; all these chord members thus constituting means for providing true cantilevers which take care of,

all stresses along the side of the ship upon which the same is located, no matter whether the stresses are due to the weight of the load acting downward, or the pressure of the water acting upward, or to sea action.

rlhe ribs 26 of the bottom plates and the deck plates between the longitudinal girders also serve. as chord members and cci-operate with the centrally located diagonal web members 24. These centrally located niembers 24 and the ribs of the deck plates and bottom plates act as means for connecting the girders 17; and likewise co-operate with the cantilever construction at the sides to form complete transversely extending trusses Y or girders, mentioned above and indicated in Figure 1 by the numeral 18. Each transverse truss or girder and its cantilever ends may be conceived too as including the web member 22 of the truss 17 in the plane of the transverse truss or girder.

The various chord members and web members of the longitudinal and transverse girders are firmly secured together and thus make up the rigid framework or skeleton of section for the hull. The skeleton or framework comprises S a pair of longitudinal trusses. 17, made as in Figure 3, with cent-rally located web members 24 that cross each other, instead of being connected to the middle of the bottom as in Figure 4. lIn this type of vessel the deckV is curved towards the sides and the bottom is likewise curved on about the same arc, the deck and bottom intersecting on each side at an acute angle. The deck plates 25A and the bottom plates 27 have ribs 26 as before, whlch extend transversely of the girders 17 and the ribs 26 of the deck plates are joined at their ends to correspondlngly located ribs of the bottom plates. These ribs are, of course, made rigidwith the 'chord members 2() and 21 of the trusses 17 andthe ends of the diagonal web members 24 are made fast to.

the girders or trusses, as will be understood. In. this instance, the central web members 24 and the transverse ribs 26 in the same transverse plane as these web members make up the transverse trusses: and the cantilevers on each side of the girders 17 are provided by the aforesaid ribs 26 of the deck and bottom plates, meeting and being fastened together at the intersection of the deck "and bottom,

InFigure 9, I show another cross section of hull. This form of hull is constructed in In Figure 10, I show another form of hull in cross section, comprising girders 17 made upr the same as in Figure 3, and connected by central dlagonal web members 24,

the same as in Figures 8 and 9. The deck plates 25 are united to side plates 27 and these plates are united to the bottom plates. The ribs ofthe correspondingly located deck,- side, and bottom plates extend continuously around the hull as before and have their ends joined together in any suitable way. These ribs and the diagonal web members 24make up the transverse girders or trusses and the ribs 26 of the deck, side and bottom plates extending from the girders outward toward the sides constitute the cantilevers. This type of shipis shown as havin a middle or lower vdeck 58a.

'In `igure11, I show longitudinal girders 17, which are in fact plate or web girders 'extending'from bottom to deck plates 25 and havingl upper chord members or flanges 20 and bottom chord members-"or anges 21a. InXtliis construction I make theV cantilever effect more pronounced by designing the transverse girders 18L sothat each comprises a continuous late or web member 60,

` extending between t e girders 17a and having a chord member 60 along its upper edge. From the girders out toward these sidesare vother webs or plates 60 with chord members 60a along upper edges, these other plates 60- tapering toward the sides, asshown. The deck plates 25 are secured to the girders 17a as before but do not bridge. them, and are joined to side plates 27. 'The side plates 27 are lunited at 29 to bottom plates extending across the bottom of the girders 17 as indicated at 30, the same as in Figures 4 and 10. ,As already described the ribs of the deck plates 25 will be aligned with and joined to the ribs of correspondingly located side plates and bottom plates, yand the ribs of the bottom plates along the lower edges of the plates 60 will be securedto these lates and formxthe bottom chords. The r1 s 26 to the outer sides of the girders 17 a are parts of the transverse girders and o'f course co,- operate with the outer plates 60 and members 60a to constitute means for providing cantilevers, and the inside plates 60 and members 60*form those parts of the transverse girders which 'constitute the means for connecting the girders 17.

While I have shown the longitudinal and transverse girders as being plate girders in Figure 11 only, I may use plate girders as transverse and longitudinal girders in any of the other forms of my ships hull. The kind of gir-der shown as a longitudinal gil-der" in Figure 3, and as a. vtransverse girder in Figure 4 'and comprising chord members along the top and bottom and web members extending transversely between the chord members is generally known in engineering parlance as agtruss; andthe term' girder in engineering means' more properly a girder consisting of a web or plate with chord members at the top and bottom, such as shown in Figure 11. lin this specication, however, li employ the term girder to cover both forms.

The ends of all the plates 60 of the trans- 6 verse girders 18a in Figure 11, at the girders 17a are, of course, made rigid with the plates of the girders 17a as by means of vertical angle bars, so that these girders 17a, serve as points of support for the cantilevers that l@ the ends of the transverse girders provide. lln other words, the ends of each middle plate 60 are fastened to the plate girders 17a along the inner faces of these plate girders, and the ends of each plate 60 which extends from M the girders 17a towards the sides are also fastened to the plate girders. Further the Vlower edges ot the plates 60 between the 'girders 17a and of the plates 60 extending from these girders 'out towards the sides will 2@ be fastened to the ribs 26; and the chord members 60a to the outside of these girders 17 will be fastened to the ribs 26 at one end and to the girders 17a at the other end. rlihe chord members 60a between the girders 17a will be fastened to 'the plates 60 between thesegirders and to the girders 17a too.

rlihe manner in which two adjacent deck plates, or two adjacent side plates, .or two adjacent bottom plates are secured together 3U along the length of the hull, is indicated in Figures 12 and 13. The end ribs of the two plates are simply laid together and joined by bolts and welding, as indicated at 31 and 32 in Figure 12, or by the same welding and rivets as indicated in Figure 13, or by spot welding.

x lin order to secure the deck side and bottom plates together along the edges which extend across the ribs 26 1 preferably employ welding in order to make a perfectly tight and leak proof joint. ll may also rivet the lates together along these edges; employlng the additional plates which lap over the edges of two adjacent plates for the purpose. @t course welding is preferred, since these i plates cannot be riveted together so advantageously along the edges which cross the ribs as they can along the edges which carry these ribs; for to secure two adjacent plates 0 together along the ribs 26 itis only necessary to bring the ribs into contact and then rivet or spot weld them. 1n some cases, especially when my ships hull or parts thereof are made of concrete, two or more of these plates can be cast together.

rllhe various parts of the skeleton of the ship may be united by riveting or welding or in some instances by casting two or more ,of the parts together and assembling them with the other parts asa single unit; and this method of uniting the parts can be adapted both fory longitudinal and transverse girders of truss and plate construction.

lin cases where ll employ girders running longitually of the ship, the same wear/e Vdivide the inside of the hull into so many cargo spaces accessible from above; and by the transverse girders, these 'longitudinal cargo spaces are subdivided into smaller ones. lin case where the longitudinal or transverse girders are plate girders and ex tend from the bottom to the upper deck, they constitute so many bulk heads and divide the inside of the hull into a number of water tight compartments, so that even in case the ship is damaged by torpedo, it can still keep afloat. ylihe compartments localize the damage and even those which are blown open from the side or bottom can still assist in keeping the ship from sinking, because the deck can be made air'tight and a quantity of air will usually be trapped below the deck in any compartment that may be damaged from without; and the buoyant eiect of this trapped air will materially assist in keeping the ship a'oat.

` li, of course, may use as many longitudinal girders either of the truss or plate type as the size. of the ship makes desirable. When truss girders are employed the web members may be omitted in some cases; provided the hull and trusses are strengthened in the usual way tocompensate for the omission.

Where curves are shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 and 8 to 12 inclusive ll do not need to employ curved members but l may use in*- stead a succession of straight members,

whether they are plates or web members; these straight parts taking the general direction of the curves and giving the hull and parts thereof the same general configuration as is shown. Such a construction of straight members is in fact illustrated in Figure t. v

lin Fig. l1, is shown a center board 33, adapted to lbe withdrawn into the center board housing or box 34, by any suitable means such for example as the cable or rod 35. A center board may be located wherever desired and various positions are indicated at 36, in Fig. 3. Theforms of hull shown in Figures t, 8, 9 and 10 are well adapted for transversing canals which have side slopes and l wish to call attention to the fact that with the hull shown in Figure 11 l may provide a double bottom by laying plates -along the length of the ship on top of the transverse girders 18a, both between the plate girders 17a and between these girders 17a and the sides of the hull.

Besides the upper deck li may yuse lower decks, one such lower deck being in fact illustrated at 58a in Figure 10. f y

llt such a lower deck is employed below the upper deck in the formgof hull shown in Figure 11 this form of hull with its double sides and double bottom becomes adapted itor` a ship intended to serve as a tanker for oil or other liquid cargo.

llO

advantageously assembled by locating the edges of these girders at the bottom and the sides of the hull between the ribs 26 of the adjacent deck, side and bottom plates and Welding these ribs to the girders.

As stated above, the longitudinal and transverse girders dividethe inside of the hull into so many compartments 'or chambers and this construction permits large hatch ways to be provided in the deck so that the cargo can be loaded and unloaded vertically.

The size of the compartments can be varied according to the number of girders used; andv the shell or skin of the ship will form the bottom of these chambers in the middle of the hull and the bottom or the bottom and sides of such chambers as are placed'along the sides of the ship. The longitudinal girders and the transverse girders, particularly the supports provided by the ends of the latter, Will hold the plating with, sufficient strength to enable the ship to resist safely the stresses. v

vMy form of hull, articularly that shown in Fig. 4, is peculiar y adapted yfor use with stabilizing devices. A wave hittingithe quarters or beams of the hull finds no resistance, no surface against which to exert a forceof impact tending to roll the hull, as the sides of the hull are referably devoid of a vertical surface. T e edge 28, and the turtleback top permit the water to continue on.its course over the hull so that the stabilizer in counteracting the rolling action has less work to do. The top and bottom of the hull meet at an acute angle, the vertex of which may be sharp or for convenience somewhat rounded as shown in Fig. 9. Of course, the sides may be flat as Shown in Fig. 10, without entirel losing the virtue of this factor, for the sha low draught means sides of small area adapted to reduce the resistance to wave impact, thus reducing the tendency to roll. The top of the hull is of course, water tight, the joints bein preferably welded, and the hatches are hel down by water tight joints.

While I have described my ship 1n the form that I prefer to build it, it is obvious that any one or more fbr all of the features may be utilized alone or in various combina- 1 tions as may' be desired, and the various forms of construction may fbe varied With- 1(Brut departing from the spirity ofv my inve11- ion.

Longitudinal girders of the plate type are especially adapted for large ships.

vThe use of longitudinal and transverse girders inthe above described structural relations saves a great quantity of the steel or other material that isv generally required to build ships of the same carrying capacity. This economy of materials is due to the supporting effect 0f the longitudinal girders on the transverse girders; whereby the latter are made to do duty in several shortspans. I thus lessen the shear and bending moment produced by a given weight of cargo, or a given degree of sea action. I can therefore, utilize materials that are smaller in comparison with what a. ship of different type will need.

The portions of the transverse girders which are between the longitudinal'girders make these longitudinal girders rigid with each other throughout the length of the ship; and the remaining portions of the transverse girders which I have described above as providing cantilevers at the sides ofthe shipserve as means for transmitting to the longitudinal girders stresses upon portions of the hull, between the longitudlnal girders and the sides of the ship; whether those stresses are due to sea action or the weight of the ships load. l

' Of course, in practice some stresses necessarily fall upon the deck, side and bottom plating because any bending ofthe girders due to hogging and sagging necessarily compels a bending of the plating also; and to this ext-ent the plating,"too,.wi1l act as a girder, even though such plating be relatively thin and light. But in my shi the skeleton is strong enough within the e astic limit of the materials of which it is built to resist all the stresses even should the plating be ruptured or enstirely removed.

This statement is made because one may consider the sides of the ship as longitudinal girders although they are not intentionally designed as such. From this point of view the portion of the transverse 'rders between the sides of the ship and t e longitudinal girders 17 can be regarded as simple beams, but in function and ei'ect they are cantilevers, under certain conditions.

It is a common occurrence to have the bilge plating stripped in which case the sides become ineffective as 'rders. It is also common to have bottom p ating loosened or some plating of sides, decks or bottom permanently deformed; `which would also seriously a'ect the longitudinal strength. It is alsocommon for sideplating to be stripped by rocks, or smashed in by collision with derelicts or other vessels, and durlng wars torpedoes are the cause of destroying slde connected thereto.

dinal strength.

lin all such cases Safety is secured if the stresses formerly carried by the side plating were transferred to the interior girders and this would be erformed properly yby the transverse mem rs extending from the ijf.- terior girders to the sides of the ship7 and lhese members are in ei'ect transverse girders or portions of transverse girders while the sides of the ship are intact. But the instant that the sides of the vessel are ruptured so as to make them ineffective, the transverse girders immediately -function as cantilevers and transfer to the interior longitudinal irders such stresses as were formerly carrie by the sides until said sides became inetl'ective.

Cantilever action may be assumed as occurring either in the original design or -in case the plating is destroyed or ruptured in such manner as to make the action of the side girdersV inedective for properly resisting longitudinal stresses and the term cantilever is to be understood accordingly.

1. lln a ships hull, the combination ola plurality of interior longitudinal girders, means extending transversely of the hull and located between said girders at a plurality of points to connect the same, and means co-operating with the first named means and extending from said girders towards the sides of the ship for constitut-s ing, in e'ect, transverse girders rigid with Y the longitudinal girders, said transverse girders providing supports for portions of the hull between the longitudinal girders and the sides of the ship, thereby causing stresses upon the hull to be resisted by said longitudinal and transverse girders, the longitudinal and transverse girders dividing the ship into compartments for loadingi'an-d` unloading cargo verticallyT 2. lin a ships hull, the combination of a skeleton and a skin to cover same, the skeleton comprisingv a plurality of interior longitudinal girders, means extending trans'- versely of the hull and located at a plurality of points between said girders to connect the same, means located at each of said points in line with said first named means and extending from said girders towards the sides of the ship for transmitting to said girders stresses upon portions of the hull between said girders and said sides, said means between the girders and said means extending from said girders towards said sides constituting at each of said points a continuous transverse girder rigid with the I longitudinal girders, said transverse girders b eing connected to said skin (adjacent the sidesot the ship) and being designed to transmit to the longitudinal girders substantially all the stresses to which said portions Ymeans a continuous transverse Messias may be subjected, whereby substantially all stresses upon the hull may be borne by said skeleton. j

3. lin a ships hull, the combination of a plurality of interior longitudinal girders, means extending transversely of the hull and located between said girders at a plurality of points to connect the same, and means at said points in line with the first named means and extending from said girders towards the sides of the ship fory transmitting to said girdersstresses upon portions of the hull between said sides and said girders, said means between said girders and said means extending towards said sides constituting at each of said points a continuous transverse girder rigid with the longitudinal girders, said transverse girders providing cantilevers for said portions designed to transmit to the longitudinal girders substantially all stresses to which said portions may be subjected, whereby substantially all stresses upon the hull may be borne by said longitudinal and transverse girders.

t 4. lin a ships hull, the combination of a skeleton and a skin to cover same, the skeleton comprising a plurality of interior longitudinal girders, means extending transversely of the hull and located at a plurality of points between said girders to connect the same, means located at each of said points in line with said rst named means and extending from said girders towards the sides of' the ship for transmitting to said .girders stresses upon portions of the hull between said girders and said sides, said means between the girders and said means extending from said girders towards said sides constituting at each of said points a continuous transverse girder rigid with the longitudinal girders, said transverse girders providing cantilevers for said portions, said cantilevers being connected to said skin adjacent the sides of the ship and being designed to transmit to the longitudinal girders substantially all the stresses to which said portions may be subjected, whereby substantially all stresses upon the hull may be borne by said skeleton.

5. lln a ships hull, the combination of a skeleton and I a skin to cover same, the skeleton comprising a plurality of interior longitudinal girders, means extending transversely of the hull and located at a plurality of points between said girders to connect the same, means located at each of said points in line with said irst named means and extending fromv said girders towards the sides of the ship for constituting at each of said points with said rst named girder rigid with the longitudinal girders, said transverse girders being connected to said skin adjacent the sides of the ship and providing supports for portions of the hull between iso said longitudinal girders and said sides, whereby all stresses upon the hull may be resisted.

6. In a ships hull, the combination of a plurality of interior longitudinal girders, means extending transversely of the hull and located between said girders at a Iplurality .of points to connect the same, and

means at said points in line with the first named means and extending from said girders towards the sides of the ship for constituting at each of said points with said first named means -a continuous transverse girder rigid with the longitudinal girders, said transverse girders providing supports for portions of the hull between the longilongitudinal girders, means extending transversely of the hull and located at a plurality of points between said girders to connect the same, means located lat each of said points in line with said lirstnamed means and extending from said girders towards the sides of the ship forl constituting at each of said points with said first-named means a continuous transverse girder rigid with the longitudinal girders, said transverse. girders providing supports for portions of the hull between the( longitudinal girders and the sides of the ship and being connected to said skin adjacent the sides of the ship, whereby all stresses upon the hull may be resisted.

Signed at New York in the county of 40 New York and State of New York'this 31 day of August A. D. 1917.

SAMUEL N. Poms.Y

Witness MYRoN F. 

